Post by Wan X. Wu on Oct 22, 2015 4:51:14 GMT
This story occurs shortly after World War II, a period where Japan is devastated after their defeat. Even though Tokyo suffered much losses, like other major cities in the world it is moving non-stop at a rapid pace. I believe what the last sentence when it states that "Tokyo is still the same. It hasn't changed a bit", it refers to the pace of the city. Tokyo and the people are moving forward with that quick pace, quickly forgetting the aftermath of the war and returning to the general lifestyle of Tokyo, for instance the drunk at the stall making a fool out of himself. On the other hand, other regions in the country are most likely living in the past, dealing with the aftermath and destruction. I think Kasai hoped to see Tokyo slow down the pace a bit, especially since the war just ended and he came back from Tsugaru, but he ended up being a bit surprised and disappointed.
Question: When Kasai was outside the apartment and called out "Jinba-san", he saw a shadow move across the glass. How do you interpret this? was this his imagination or a ghost? was this a memory of the old days when he'd come over to Jinba-san's place? He even asked for 3 settings at the stall, does this mean that Shizueko's mother is vividly alive in his mind?
Question: When Kasai was outside the apartment and called out "Jinba-san", he saw a shadow move across the glass. How do you interpret this? was this his imagination or a ghost? was this a memory of the old days when he'd come over to Jinba-san's place? He even asked for 3 settings at the stall, does this mean that Shizueko's mother is vividly alive in his mind?
